


My Fucking God, These Squids Gay, Good For Them, Good For Them

by Vanta22exual



Category: Splatoon
Genre: I have been working on this thing for TWO. YEARS., I'm so tired, M/M, Multi, S4 Poly is best poly, just let me REST
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:02:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26199760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vanta22exual/pseuds/Vanta22exual
Summary: Mostly a "What if" about how the S4 might have ended up in a poly relationship. Remember everyone, timelines are made up and canon doesn't matter.
Relationships: Aloha/Army/Mask/Skull (Splatoon)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 42





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm actually really excited to finally bring this to you guys. This has been 2 years in the making, I actually started it shortly after publishing the first chapter of Clouds above Inkopolis. And finally it's done! Frankly I hope y'all will enjoy reading it a lot more than I did writing it ^^;

" _Come on Maskie! You're gonna be left behind!"_

_ The energetic squidling gently tugged his friend along as the rest of their class was already far ahead, the teachers not paying a lot of attention to the two that were lagging behind. 'Maskie' simply huffed, only half heartedly trudging after the other. Truth be told, if it weren't for his friend, he would have begged his parents to stay at home, class trips really weren't his thing. _

_ "We're going to Wahoo World, isn't that great Maskie? I can't wait to ride on the Merry-go-round and eat some Cotton Candy! What about you?" _

_ His friend turned to him, obviously expecting an answer. Truth be told, Mask wasn't a fan of amusement parks. He preferred staying inside and playing with his toys. However the expectant eyes that were resting on him eventually made him cave, and he mumbled a quiet answer behind the white face mask he constantly wore.  _

_ "I guess the Merry-go-round sounds kind of fuuuun...."  _

_Aloha beamed at his friend, taking his hand once more and tugging him along a little quicker so they would catch up to the group walking ahead of them, obviously excited about this whole trip. Watching his friend, Mask decided that if Aloha had fun, perhaps it wasn't such a bad thing after all._

\-----

"Maaaaaask you're spacing out again!" 

The cyan inkling snapped out of his thoughts with a grunt, looking up only to find the pouting face of his best friend in front of him. What...- Oh. Right. They had gone out to grab a snack after taking a break from turf wars. It took the masked inkling a few moments to really snap to attention before he focused on Aloha, who had sat down across from him.

"Soooooorry I was just.....remembering something." he drawled out, looking at the menu in front of him. They had chosen one of those fancy cafes Aloha liked so much today. If it were for Mask, he would just pick the next best fast food joint and call it a day. Eventually, they ordered their drinks, Mask deciding to go for a large bowl of ice cream instead of an actual lunch this time around. He wasn't usually much of a sweet tooth, but once in a while it certainly didn't hurt. 

"So....what were you remembering earlier?" Aloha looks up from his waffles as he asks the question, eyes holding a twinkle of curiosity Mask knew all too well. It was the kind that wouldn't go away until he actually answered the question. Growing up with the pink inkling had taught him as much. 

"Noooothing much....just some stupid field trip from when we were in school...." He mumbles, having pulled his mask off to eat his ice cream. It was one of the rare moments where he actually let people see his face. His eyes flicked from his ice cream to Aloha before sweeping the room nervously, catching one of the inklings looking their way only for them to quickly turn their gaze away once they realized Mask was staring back. 

Aloha hummed, seemingly satisfied with that answer. "Must have been one of the better ones if it gets you to zone out like that Maskie~" the pink inkling simply returned Mask's glare with a small grin. 

"I told you not to call me that in public....I have a reputation you knoooow...." the cyan inkling grumbled, shoving another spoonful of Ice cream into his mouth. It only prompted Aloha to let out a hearty chuckle, beaming at his masked friend. 

"Aw come on, you almost never let me call you that anymore. What's so wrong with it? I think its a cute nickname. Not to mention, you've always been Maskie to me." 

Mask simply sighed and rolled his eyes, not finding it in himself to argue with Aloha about this. He knew he couldn't win against the other. The pink inkling would just pout and look at him with those big eyes of his and Mask would feel his anger melt away like it always did. He wasn't sure why, he usually wasn't much of a soft person, but Aloha always somehow managed to make him bend to his will. 

\-----

Heading back to the lobby tower after their break, the two inklings decided to head into a turf war together for a change of pace. Usually they would turf with their own respective teams, but sometimes it was nice to work together on one team instead of facing each other. Sitting in the waiting room for their match, they watched as different inklings slowly filed in, some giving them strange looks, mostly for the fact that the two of them had been making quite the fuss recently, climbing the ranks, both of them already sporting an A+.

Both inklings eventually fell into the lull of conversation until they were called up to head to the stage. Arowana Mall of all things. Not the worst stage for either of them, but certainly not the best either. As they spawned in, Aloha was quick to turn to greet their two teammates. One was a downright terrifying inkling that wore a skull bandana that didn't even throw his other teammates a glance before swimming off to take position towards the middle of the map, wielding an E-Liter with terrifying precision as he dispatched the first enemy that tried to sneak into their spawn already.

The fourth inkling looked a little unsure of himself, wearing a Beret, a pair of Punk Cherries as well as a Forge Inkling Parka, he clutched his N-Zap tightly before taking a deep breath. It was almost like he hadn't even noticed his current teammates until Aloha lifted his hand to greet him once more. "Aloha! Lets do our best in this turf war, right?"

The inkling blinked confusedly for a moment before simply nodding, finally taking off as well. Instead of turning into his squid form and following the trail of ink the other inkling had laid down before, he instead opted to run towards the middle, inking the ground as he went, he was notably fast about it, most likely having stacked his gear for speed. 

Aloha and Mask gave each other a look before the latter simply shrugged, taking off as well and heading down the right side path with his Roller while Aloha was left to follow their nervous teammate towards the middle. As he arrived, he found the Beret wearing inkling already cornered by two of the enemies, trying to avoid their shots by jumping from side to side. Aloha made quick work to dispatch them, an easy job for his .gal. 

"Couldn't have such a cute face getting dirty with enemy ink, now could we?" He gave a wink to the other inkling who almost seemed to sink into his parka before finally regaining his senses and zooming off over the ramp to ink more turf. Aloha simply chuckled to himself, focusing on patching up the few splatters of enemy ink that remained in the middle area. 

Meanwhile, up above Mask made sure to cover as much ground as possible, speeding along with his carbon as he covered the map in their color. Soon enough he reached the end of the path, peering down to the middle just in time to see another enemy inkling swim up the side of one of the walls, attempting to ambush Aloha who had his back turned. 

With his roller raised, Mask leapt down, managing to splat the enemy inkling before they could get a clean hit on Aloha, who only turned around when he heard the sounds of splashing ink behind him. The flirty inkling beamed at his teammate, giving him a wink. "Thanks Maskie, I owe you one!" With that, he turned into a squid, quickly following the beret wearing inkling towards the enemy spawn. 

Mask simply huffed, for a moment considering yelling after the other not to use that embarrassing nickname in a public match. However his train of thought was interrupted when a splash of ink landed right in front of him. Turning his head, he noticed the sniper from before perched at the end of the other side path. Had he been watching them this whole time...?

There was hardly any time to think about it as the roller user picked up a yelp that came from the direction of the enemy spawn. Turning into a squid, he swam through the ink only to arrive to see Aloha and their other teammate getting cornered by the entire enemy team. They couldn't make it out of that kind of situation, especially since both of them appeared to be out of ink. 

Mask cursed under his breath as he quickly made his way towards the enemy spawn, trying to rescue his team mates. Just as he activated his special to send out his seekers, he heard a similar noise from above him, and barely a moment later the enemy team dispersed as a giant Kraken tore through their ranks, sending two of them straight back to their spawn point while the other two backed up, giving Aloha and Army more than enough time to refill their ink and dispose of them quickly.

Not long after the siren announced the end of this particular turf war. The inklings gathered back in the lobby to hear Judd announce the winner, which unsurprisingly turned out to be Aloha and Mask's team. Considering that they had boxed the enemy team into their spawn, it really wasn't a shock to anyone. 

\-----

"Hey, you, with the beret! I never caught your name!" 

As they left the lobby tower, Aloha spotted the inkling that had been on their team before, calling out to him. Mask simply quirked an eyebrow at his friend, while it wasn't unusual for Aloha to be social, he usually didn't care much about names, unless of course he had taken a special interest in someone. 

The inkling that was called out to froze for a second, looking around for a moment as if he was making sure that he was the one that had been spoken to before turning around to face the other two. Looking at him a little closer now, his face was pulled into a stoic frown, small black stripes painted beneath his eyes. If he didn't look so unsure of himself, one might have mistaken him for a drill sergeant or something similar. As it was, he eyed the two squids approaching him for a moment before finally speaking up.

"I apologize, I must have forgotten to properly introduce myself. My name is Army." 

"Aaaaarmy....? Where have I heard that name before....." Mask hummed for a moment, mustering the other. Something about this guy did seem familiar, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Meanwhile Aloha started to causally chat with the other. Well, as causally as possible, given that Army seemed rather tense talking to him. Suddenly, something clicked in Mask's mind.

"Ooooh....now I remember....you're that up and coming neeewbie, aren't you....? Already an A rank despite appearing on the scene very reeeecently...." 

Aloha made an O kind of expression as he turned to the inkling they were talking to, mustering him for a moment. "You know Mask, now that you mention it, he DID look familiar! I didn't realize the new star of the plaza was so cute~" 

At the comments, Army simply sank into his parka a little more, a light orange blush settling on his cheeks. "Oh uhm...th-thank you. Truth be told I have to attribute most of my success to my team, I'm usually quite lost when I'm in a situation by myself...." 

The two A+ inklings exchanged a look before Aloha spoke up again. "You seemed to hold your own pretty okay out there though. But maybe, if you don't feel confident in yourself in those sorts of situations, maybe make a plan beforehand? Write down what could happen and how you could counter it!" 

Army blinked a little as the pink inkling gave him advice, seeming to consider it for a moment. "Making a plan....a manual of sorts, for strategies? It doesn't sound like that bad of an idea....I might try that, thank you!" He gave the two of them a smile. 

Mask gave Aloha a small look, he knew that the other usually didn't help out potential opponents like this. He could sense that the pink inkling had other plans. Aloha simply smirked back at him before turning back to Army. "So....how about we go grab a snack together? To celebrate the turf war we won?" 

The cyan inkling sighed, but as Army nodded, Mask decided to resign himself to his fate, trudging after the other two as they headed to the cafe that he and Aloha had been in not half an hour before.


	2. Chapter 2

The weeks flew by almost too quickly, Mask, Aloha and Army having grown quite close during that time. Where it had been common to see Mask and Aloha hang out together, often Army would join in as well, having warmed up to the other two elite inklings rather quickly. Not just their friendship had grown during that time, all three Inklings had managed to climb all the way to the highly sought after S rank. Although all three of them were still aiming higher yet, reaching for that elusive S+ that seemed just out of reach.

As of right now, they had gotten comfortable in Mask's apartment, Aloha having sprawled out on the couch with Mask cuddled up to him. Army had opted to get comfortable in one of the recliners as they watched an animated movie. It wasn't until half way through the movie that Army finally decided to break the comfortable silence by speaking up.

"I hope its not rude to ask this but....are the two of you....together?" 

There was a beat of silence between the three of them, Aloha finding his voice first, sputtering a little before managing to speak up. "Where did _that_ question come from love?" Mask had sat up in the meantime, his uncovered face having flared a light cyan.

Army seemed a little surprised by the reaction, tilting his head before giving a timid shrug. "I mean...you two are always together, going places and stuff, and its pretty clear that you're very close. I just thought, uhm, well, you know. I mean- not that there's anything wrong with that! I was just.....curious...." Army trailed off, his own face having flushed a bright orange the longer he went on. 

The two inklings on the couch exchanged a look, Aloha looking just as stunned as Mask. Neither of them really knew how to respond to the question. They weren't together, no, but it seemed neither Mask nor Aloha actually wanted to confirm it out loud. 

Eventually, it was Army that finally decided to break the silence again, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't have asked something sensitive like that so suddenly. Lets just....lets just forget about it, okay?" 

There was a small moment of silence before Aloha gave a nervous chuckle as well as a small nod. "Yeah...lets forget about it."

\-----

In the end, neither of the three inklings forgot about it. 

Mask was clearly more distracted than usual, forgetting to use his seekers and getting splatted more times than he'd like to admit, just because his head kept buzzing with that one question. He and Aloha weren't together. ...were they? No, they've never made anything official. And yet....the thought of it wasn't as weird as Mask would have expected it to be. To think of Aloha as his boyfriend....they already did a lot of stuff together, and if he was honest, there were only a handful of people he cared as deeply for as he did for the pink inkling. However, there was one problem. One problem in the form of an orange inkling named Army. It wasn't the fact that Aloha was clearly friendly with the other, even more so than he was with other people. No. It was the fact that Mask himself got along with the other almost uncannily well. Considering that he usually hated people that weren't Aloha or his team, it was quite stunning. 

It wasn't until that afternoon, while he was sitting between the other two over a cup of coffee that he realized what his problem was. 

He had developed two crushes without even realizing it.

Once the conclusion was drawn, Mask found himself startled, wondering when he had begun to have feelings for either of them. While he could easily pin the blame for his feelings for Aloha on the fact that they had known each other for so long, Army was a different case altogether. 

And yet, Mask found himself drawn in by the orange inkling, the way his eyes lit up when they discussed strategies, how bright his smile became when he laughed at Aloha's jokes, or the serious face he put up when he was about to head back to another turf war. Not to mention, he was surprisingly easy to just hang around. Mask never had to contribute much to their conversations, Army was content to just ramble on and on about strategies, the news, or whatever else came to his mind while Mask simply nodded along occasionally to show that he was still listening.

Needless to say, the cyan inkling found himself in a dilemma. 

A dilemma, as it turned out, he very much shared with his childhood friend. 

Because just like Mask was realizing his feelings, so was Aloha. 

For Aloha, being friendly with people had always been easy. Flashing a smile here, a few nice words there, and he had made himself a ton of friends. He was always the popular one, the inkling everyone wanted to hang with. And yet, ever since he was a squidling, he had found himself sticking to the quiet loner that would become his best friend. To Aloha, Mask was somewhat of a safe haven. A quiet place he could turn to when the parties and people became too much for him. 

With Mask, he could drop his facade, he could just be himself. He wasn't forced to pretend to be interested in everything and everyone, he could frown and scream and cry and not be judged for it. It was something Aloha had come to appreciate more than anything now that they were starting to become more famous due to their ranks. More eyes on him meant more pressure to keep up his spiel of being the trendy party king. So it was comforting to know that he could turn to his friend to just be himself. 

His friend, the one he had known for what felt like forever. His friend that managed to light up even the darkest of his days. His friend that seemed to somehow always just _know_ what Aloha needed, never asking too many questions and just being there for him.

His friend....

His friend that he loved.

The realization hadn't been all that jarring to him. Somewhere, deep down, he had known already. He had known that he had seen Mask as more than a friend, that he wanted more for them than what they had currently. He had always felt selfish, to want even more when the other was giving him so much already.

What had been jarring to him however, was the fact that Mask wasn't the only object of his affections anymore. As much as he wanted to deny it, Army had slowly but surely managed to super jump his way into his heart. 

Maybe it was the fact that they got along so easily, having become fast friends after their first turf war together. Or perhaps it was the fact that while trying to appear strict and stoic, Army was actually quite soft beneath his exterior, getting flustered easily, especially when Aloha started to flirt with him jokingly. Well, perhaps it hadn't been that much of a joke, all things considered. 

Maybe it was the fact that Army seemed to get along with Mask as well. Sometimes Aloha would find himself watching those two chatter about things, enjoying the fact that the cyan inkling managed to be social with someone that wasn't him or the other's team for once. 

All things considered, Aloha wasn't sure what to do. He loved Mask, but he also loved Army. It caught him in a downward spiral that left him unable to act, torn between the two of them.

The last of the three wasn't having a much easier time dealing with his feelings either. 

Army had never fancied himself someone that fell in love easily. In fact, he never anticipated falling in love at all. For him, it had always been about turf wars. Climbing the ranks and becoming a well respected inkling had always been his top priorities. And yet, things had taken a slight change a few months ago, when he first met Aloha and Mask. That day, Sailor White had called out sick, causing his team to take a break for a day. Of course Army, being the diligent guy he was, decided to simply head into a match by himself to get some practice. 

He hadn't anticipated being matched up with some of the up and coming faces of the turf war scene, and he certainly hadn't anticipated them making friends with him. And yet, when he found himself sitting down between the two of them to share some stories about what happened that day over a snack and some coffee, he felt right at home, like he belonged there. It was....strange, but nice. He never once felt out of place between those two, even with how close they were. 

So on that evening a few days ago, he had gathered up all his courage and thrown the question out there. He had been curious ever since he got to know the two of them better. They acted close, very close even, but Army was never quite sure where they stood in relation to each other. However, just as the question left his lips, he wished that it hadn't. 

It felt like he had shattered something fragile that evening, something none of them were really aware existed before then. 


	3. Chapter 3

"Congratulations on reaching S+! You're the fourth inkling in a row to achieve this amazing feat today, do you have anything to say about your victories?" 

Army simply waved off the reporters that were hounding him and his team, making their way out of the lobby tower. They had fought long and hard to get to this point, and they were quite proud of themselves, but that didn't mean that they had to have it announced to the world. He knew that both Mask and Aloha had made it as well, if the excited messages from the pink inkling were anything to go by. 

Pulling out his phone, he decided to inform his friends of his achievement. 

  
Army: Guess who just joined the elusive S+ club?

Aloha: No way!!! Really? Congrats love! 

Mask: nice

Aloha: I think this calls for a celebration! A party!

Mask: nooooooooo no parties

Aloha: Well what should we do then Mr. Party pooper? :/

Army: Perhaps we could just get together for a comfortable evening? My team isn't terribly interested in celebrating, they just want a break.

Mask: id be okay with that

Aloha: Fiiiiine. But at least let me take you two out to dinner tomorrow!

Army: I can accept that.

Mask: fine whatever 

Mask: are we meeting at my apartment?

Army: It sounds like the most reasonable choice, considering neither of you have been to mine and Aloha decided to live on the other side of Inkopolis.

Aloha: HEY! Its not my fault that the apartments are nicer over there. :T

Aloha: But fine, Maskie's apartment it is. 

\-----

In the end, the three of them ended up just lazing around the place, watching some movies together and snacking on some squid shaped chicken nuggets despite Army protesting that they should eat something healthy instead. It was....comfortable. Very much so. Mask and Aloha had taken opposite sides of the couch this time, Army having reclaimed his spot in the recliner. Everything was perfect.

Well....perhaps not everything. There was a storm brewing inside a certain orange inkling. Army had been brooding over his feelings for quite some time now, thinking about the two inklings he had come to know so well. Truth be told...he was in love. It had taken him ages to realize it, and even longer to come to terms with it. The fact that his heart fluttered slightly when they were together, how a simple joke could make him flustered more than anything else, it had taken him many sleepless nights and some help from his teammates to figure out why he felt like this.

The problem was...he loved both of them. Aloha with his outgoing personality, his charm and good looks, despite everything he was always understanding, not to mention downright protective at times, especially when it came to others trying to spread rumors about his friends. And then there was Mask, withdrawn, quiet, but still fun to be around, someone who always listened to him ramble and gave his input where needed without judging too much. He loved both of them, and he had found himself at a loss for what to do. 

"Can I....Can I ask you guys a question?" 

His words certainly got their attention, both Mask and Aloha turning their gazes from the movie to the recliner he had curled up in.

"Sure love, whats bothering you?" Aloha's tone was slightly concerned, the pink inkling having picked up on the fact that Army was nervous rather quickly. Not to say that Mask didn't notice as well, but he certainly wasn't quick to show it. 

"Well....I needed some...advice, I guess. There's....there's this person I really really like-" Before Army could finish, Aloha cut him off, sitting up, his eyes practically twinkling, although something didn't seem quite right with his expression.

"Ooooohh~? Don't tell me you've got a crush! Who is it? Tell me, tell me!" He was practically bouncing on the couch, Mask moving to lazily drag himself into a sitting position next to his friend, obviously curious as well, but not enough to actually voice it. 

Army fell into silence for a few moments, unsure if he should really ask them about this. Then again, he needed to know. "Well, as I said, there's this person I really really like, but, the problem is, there's another person I _also_ really really like. And, uhm, well, I guess the problem is that I can't choose between them? We're all kinda close, so I wouldn't want to ruin anything by picking one over the other..." 

There was a glint in Mask's eyes, like he had just realized something, but he decided to be quiet about it. Not that he had any chance, as Aloha was quick to butt in. "That's definitely a complicated situation you have there love....but if you're all close to each other...maybe talk to them about it? Its definitely better to be open about something like this, so when something does happen, nobody ends up feeling betrayed." 

The orange inkling simply nodded, seeming to consider Aloha's words carefully. "Talk to them about it openly, huh...?" 

"Sooooo....who are the lucky squids?" Both Aloha and Army turned to Mask, who had moved to lean back against the couch, mustering Army with a throughout gaze. 

At the question, Army's face flared up a little, and he found himself at a loss for words. Should he tell them? Should he keep it to himself? This could ruin everything. He didn't want to lose his friends, as much as his heart longed for more, he valued them too much. But at the same time....

"Its....well....uhm....y-you...actually..." His voice became quieter and quieter as he spoke, eventually trickling off into a soft whisper as he squeezed his eyes shut, letting the other two process his words. Would they hate him now? Rationally, he knew that they probably wouldn't, but in his anxious state, his mind was playing everything up and making things seem that much worse. 

There was a long silence between the three of them, only the sound of the movie in the background cutting through it until Mask suddenly started to chuckle. It startled Army slightly, making him snap his head up, starring at the other inkling. 

"Maaaaan.... what a coincidence, huh Aloha....?" the cyan inkling drawled, turning his attention to the third inkling, who up until this point seemed to have been stunned into silence. Army was a little confused what Mask was talking about, directing his confused gaze at the other inkling resting on the couch. 

Only when the attention was turned to him did Aloha finally seem to snap out of it, his face suddenly flushing a light pink before he tried to wave it off with a chuckle. "Oh hah, well, yeah it definitely is, isn't it Maskie? That's uhm, haha, yeah...." It seemed the party king was a little too flustered to make himself understood, causing Mask to let out another low chuckle.

"What Tutti Fruity is trying to say is.....we kinda talked about this before and....weeelllll....we like you tooooooo....but we also like eachother...." 

Another beat of silence, Army needing his time to process what he was being told. 

"W-wait so....the two of you also....o-oh....d-does that mean....?" He trailed off, unsure how to finish his thought without making himself sound like even more of an embarrassment. 

Mask simply hummed, giving a small shrug of his shoulders. "We decided not to say anything.....neither of us wanted to scare you off....buuuuuuut if you're saying that you also like us back theeeeeen...." 

"...then we would love to be together with you love, both of us." Aloha finally seemed to have regained his composure, although his face was still flushed a bright pink, his tentacles even emitting a soft glow. 

Needless to say, Army was stunned. To have not just one, but both of them returning his feelings? It felt like he was in a dream. In fact, he actually tried to pinch himself even though he feared that he would wake up in his bed. But no, this was real, both of these amazing inklings really wanted to be with him. Army couldn't possibly stop the smile that suddenly spread on his face, and before he knew it, he had gotten out of the recliner to get onto the couch with the other two, wrapping both of them in a tight hug, making Aloha flush a little harder and Mask chuckle, although there was also a clear hint of cyan on his cheeks now.

"Being with you would make me the happiest squid in the world." Army felt two pairs of arms wrap around him in return before a kisses were placed on his cheeks, one on each. 

"Then that's settled love, you're with us for good now." Aloha _beamed_ , there was no doubt he would proceed to brag to his team about his two boyfriends the next opportunity he got. 

"Yeah....gooooood luck getting rid of us again...." Mask gave him a smirk, but there was something so incredibly soft in his eyes, Army couldn't help but smile back before proceeding to pepper both of them with little kisses in return. 


	4. Chapter 4

The following days were almost a dream for all three inklings. With their teams now firmly sitting at S+ and striving to defend their titles, and them finally having admitted their feelings to each other, it almost felt like nothing could go wrong. As long as they stuck together, nothing could break them apart.

"As the four highest ranked inklings in this plaza, we want you to work together as a Team." The inkling sitting at the front of the table explained before turning to the purple inked squid sat at the far corner. "And considering your overall performance, we'd like you to be the leader of this newly formed team, Skull."

Three of the four inklings present exchanged a look as the turfing official finished their explanation. While Army, Aloha and Mask had no qualms about working together, the other one seemed less than impressed by the idea. As if on cue, the fourth inkling let out a huff, golden eyes fixing the other three with a glare. "I already have a perfectly good team. I don't see what I stand to gain from working with these three."

Mask couldn't help the indignant noise that escaped him, and even Aloha and Army seemed a bit peeved at the answer from the purple inked squid. 

"Skull, please. The committee has thought this through and already made a decision. We want all four of you ready for the next tournament. This is final." The official huffed, fixing all four of them with a glare before turning on their heel and leaving the meeting room they had been gathered in.

Aloha let out a breath he didn't even know he had been holding, slumping slightly before remembering that they weren't quite by themselves this time. He snapped his eyes up just to find Skull mustering him as well as Army and Mask closely, the purple Inkling's expression almost unreadable. "I still don't see the sense in this, but I guess there's no way around it. I want you three at the lobby tower in an hour. I need to see what you're made out of."

Without saying so much as another word, the purple inkling stood before leaving the room rather quickly. Perhaps he just needed to get out of there, or perhaps the thought of having a second team really bothered him _that_ much, who knew.

"Well isn't _he_ all sunshine and rainbows." Aloha let out a huff once the sniper had finally left, turning to the other two. Army let out a soft huff, his shoulders slumping slightly as he relaxed from the tense position he had been in the entire time. Mask on the other hand simply let out a soft grumble, glaring after the purple inkling before finally getting up from his seat. "He seeeeeems like a fucking hassle to work with. I hope these idiots knew what they were doing...." 

\-----

The further away from the meeting room Skull was, the faster his steps became. Without thinking, he had pulled out his phone, feeling his heart almost pound in his throat as he dialed a number he knew by heart by now. Rounding a corner into a more secluded part of the building, he tried to calm his breathing as he counted the rings on the other end. One, two, three- 

With a small click, a familiar voice answered. "Yeah? Skull what is it, I thought you were still in that meeting-"

"VINTAGE IT'S _THEM_." He could barely keep the panic out of his voice as he nervously paced up and down the hallway, only remembering to keep the volume down as he heard footsteps shuffle down the hallway at the far end. "Remember what we talked about yesterday? About this whole thing? And you told me there could be no way in hell they would put me with those three? Well they did! And I'm supposed to be the _leader_ of this team! And I couldn't even talk myself out of it and now they probably think I'm horrible- Vintage what the _fuck_ do I do you know I can't deal with this-"

Skull was cut off from his nervous rambling by a soft sound on the other end of the line. At first he almost didn't recognize it, but as it finally hit, he let out an indignant whine when he realized that Vintage was actually _laughing_. "Skull I'm- -snrk- I'm sorry but- hahahaha this is too fucking good-" 

"Well I'm glad you're having a chuckle at my expense over there, I'm having a crisis over here! I didn't call you to get laughed at-" He could barely finish his sentence as there was a shuffling as well as a muffled cry of "Omega!" on the other end before he could hear the phone being picked up by someone else. "Skull? What's going on? Why is Vintage losing his head?" 

The purple inkling felt his ears fold down, his feet slowly carrying him down the hallway, aiming to get out of this place. Letting out a soft sigh, he tried to collect his thoughts before finally speaking up. "Vintage is being an asshole, as per usual." All he picked up from the other end was a soft "mhnhn" sound, no doubt as Omega watched her team leader laugh his ass off at Skull's crisis. "I'm aware, it's been a while since I've actually heard him laugh like this. What's the occasion?"

"It's....fuck. Okay, you remember what we were talking about yesterday?" He could almost feel Omega quirking an eyebrow on the other end. "You mean those three squids you've been stalking all this time?"

"Yes! I mean- no! I- I haven't been stalking them, I already told you." Skull was quick to defend himself, his brow furrowing as he finally stepped out of the building, finding himself wandering away from it, trying to find an area with less people. "Skull, you've been following them for _months_ without ever introducing yourself. I think that qualifies as stalking." 

Letting out an annoyed groan, Skull ran a hand over his tentacles, pushing them down slightly only to have them twitch right back into their upright position. "Listen, it doesn't matter what I was doing, okay? The point is, the turfing committee is having me work with them on a team. A team that I'm supposed to lead of all things! I can't deal with that! Even worse, I acted like a total ass trying to make them reconsider this whole deal and now they probably think I'm the biggest asshole in all of Inkopolis, I basically just fucked myself over. Do you think its too late to change my name and move to Calamari County?"

He could hear the soft huff of laughter on the other end, and for just a moment he thought he may have lost Omega too, but just a second later she seemed to catch herself. "Skull, maybe you should just tell them how it is. You're gonna be around them now whether you want to or not. It's best not to keep it hidden for too long. It's going to cause problems in the long run." 

Skull let out a soft whine at that answer, it certainly hadn't been the one he had hoped for. "Omega, you know I can't do that. I wouldn't even know how, or where to begin-" 

"Skull." His jaw snapped shut with an audible click, and he let out a sigh. "Listen Skull, you're going to have to tell them sooner or later. You can't just keep crushing in silence like that, it won't be good for the team." He let out a sigh, he knew Omega was right, if he just let it eat away at him, he would crumble sooner or later. But telling those three how he felt? Especially when he already knew they were in a relationship? He doubted it would work. Wandering off, he found himself saying goodbye to Omega as his thoughts drifted around the three inklings that had been messing with his head all this time.

\-----

"He said in an hour, right?" Army scowled as he checked his watch for the fifth time now, glancing around the crowd that always gathered around the lobby tower. His eyes soon flicked back to his boyfriends, Mask having decided to take a rest on a nearby bench, his carbon propped up next to him as he seemed relaxed as could be. Meanwhile, Aloha was bustling between busy inklings, seeming just as irked as the orange inkling as he was clearly keeping an eye out for the purple sniper.

"Thaaaaat's what he said." Mask chimed in from the side, looking up from his phone for just a moment before returning his attention to it. Army let out an annoyed huff, giving the area one more once over before deciding to join the cyan inked squid on the bench. The moment he did, he found himself leaning against the other's shoulder, idly watching the game on Mask's screen as his fingers flew over it, inputs happening too fast for Army to really discern what kind of game it even was. Instead, he busied himself with just watching the crowd again, almost pouting when he spoke up. "I cannot believe it, he tells us to be here in an hour, and then doesn't even bother to show up! Who does he think he is?"

Before Mask could begin to answer, Aloha returned from the crowd, looking considerably more peeved than before. He almost instantly moved to sit on Mask's other side, leaning in with a quiet huff. "Nobody has seen _anything_. I can't believe he's _that_ rude. Is it too late to say no to this whole team thing?" 

Army let out a soft noise, agreeing with the pink inkling. Mask honestly had to agree with them, especially with the show their supposed 'leader' had made of himself earlier today. 

A silence fell over them, Army closing his eyes for a few moments as Aloha watched Mask play with his phone, although, the silence didn't last long, as the crowd almost seemed to part as a familiar purple inkling _finally_ made his way to the tower. He almost stopped when he spotted the other three squids, although quickly made his way over, trying his best to ignore the two annoyed stares he received. "I'm sorry I'm late. Kinda...went to the wrong tower." 

The explanation seemed to stump the other three, Army and Mask exchanging a look as Aloha quirked an eyebrow at their new leader. "You went to the wrong tower? How?? The square is almost at the other side of the city." Clearly, the pink inkling was doubting Skull's excuse, but all the purple inkling could give him in response was a shrug and a blank expression, he had no idea how to defend himself here, he had gotten distracted during his phone call, and before he knew it, he had found himself in the square, only to find Vintage yelling at him two seconds later to go back to the plaza.

There was a moment of tense silence between them before Skull shouldered his E-Liter, nodding towards the doors of the tower. "Let's go. I want to see what you're made of." The three Inklings exchanged looks before finally getting to their feet, grabbing their weapons, and following their supposed leader. This was certainly promising to be interesting.

\-----

With a shrill noise, the match ended. The newly formed team took the victory all too easily, Judd quickly announcing them as the winners. As they made their way back to the lobby, Skull found himself contemplating the other three. This team certainly wasn't bad. Between Army and Aloha, inking was easily covered. Mask certainly was great with his bombs, and even took to the front lines when it came down to it along with the other two. And he himself provided back line support, catching any Inklings that might have slipped by the other three somehow. Overall, things were working out much better than anticipated, even cooperating came to them much easier than he thought it would. Not that he had any doubts about the other three working together well, but even he fit into the whole thing shockingly easily.

"Man, I don't think I've ever forced a team back into their spawn this quickly. We were doing great out there!" Aloha cheered, earning him a small roll of the eyes from Mask as well as a nod of agreement from Army. "This is certainly working out much better than I thought. With this sort of team it might almost make tournaments redundant I'm afraid." 

"Dooooooon't get so full of yourself Army....There's aaaaaalways that _one_ team that'll kiiiiiick your ass." Mask finally chimed in with a soft chuckle, earning himself a nudge from Aloha and a soft huff from Army. Watching the three of them as he trailed after them, Skull once again felt that tight squeeze in his chest. Why'd he have to fall in love with three Inklings that were already in a relationship again?

"Oh, oh, but we can't forget our oh so great team leader over there." Skull snapped out of his thoughts when Aloha called the attention to him, and he was suddenly all too aware of three pairs of eyes resting on him. For a moment, he was ready for the other three to tear into him for something he did. But what? He was wearing his bandanna, he had taken the right E-Liter today- wait, was he wearing pants?

"Yes, I do have to say, for as...disagreeable as you seemed at the start, you most certainly know your weapon well. I don't think I've seen someone with an E-Liter aim with such precision before." Army finally spoke, breaking Skull out of his musing. "Yeah! The enemies couldn't do anything once you had them in your sights, that's pretty cool." Aloha beamed at him, and Skull hated how he could feel his heart beating a little faster at the praise. 

"I gueeeeess you at least know how to use your weapon. That's mooooore than I can say for moooooost people...." Mask grumbled before turning, heading further into the locker rooms with Aloha and Army hot on his heels. Skull found himself rooted to the spot for a few moments, too many things running through his head for him to process. "Skuuuuull! Are you coming??" He quickly snapped himself out of it at the sound of Aloha's voice, adjusting his grip on his E-Liter before following the other three, soon finding himself in a more secluded part of the locker rooms. Sighing, he set down his weapon and unlatched his Ink Tank, putting it aside as well as he punched in the combination for his locker.

"Oh oh, Maskie, how about we go to that fancy sushi place you like so much today?" Skull couldn't stop his ears from flicking as he picked up the conversation happening behind him, trying to busy himself with putting away his weapon. "I don't knoooooow....What do yooooooou think Army?" Hearing a soft shuffling, no doubt Army digging around his parka for some sort of notebook, he heard the telltale flipping of pages just moments after. God, he really had been stalking them, hadn't he? "Well, It _has_ been a while since we've gone to eat there. I wouldn't be opposed." 

Right, of course those three would make plans to go out to eat. For just a moment Skull wanted nothing more than to play dense and invite himself along, but he decided against it. He's already ticked them off enough with that stunt earlier. Finally stashing away his Ink Tank, he closed the locker before turning to leave, trying to ignore a murmured conversation happening behind his back. Probably those three mumbling about that he was finally leaving. God, he had really fucked up his chances already, hadn't he?

"Hey- Skull wait!" Aloha calling for him had him stop in his tracks, hesitating before turning his head to look at the other. He couldn't quite read the pink inkling's expression, tilting his head as he made a confused noise. Aloha shifted in response before speaking up. "How about you come with us? Probably would be some good team bonding if we got some dinner together. Wouldn't it?"

Skull couldn't stop his eyes from instantly flicking up to the other two. Clearly they weren't as behind the idea as their pink boyfriend was, but looking back at Aloha, he gave him such a pleasant smile, Skull found it difficult to refuse. "...Sure. I don't see why not." 

He was going to regret this, wasn't he?

\-----

He was regretting it alright, although not for the reasons he thought he would. In fact, going out to eat with the other three was rather pleasant. Aloha made some idle conversation, hopping from topic to topic and trying to include all of them, and while Army responded decently well, Mask would occasionally just give a soft hum or grumble in response, which still seemed to be more than enough of an answer for the Pink Inkling. 

Overall, it was a surprisingly calm atmosphere, it was comfortable, even. Skull almost felt a little misplaced right in the middle of it, and yet he somehow found himself fitting in without much of an issue. How long has he been watching these three and wanting this exact scenario? A little bit too long for it to be normal, surely. And yet, here he was, sitting at a table while Mask explained why his order of sushi was clearly the best choice while Aloha bickered with him about it. Army simply let out a soft sigh while busying himself with the menu, though the little smile on the drill sergeant's face wasn't lost on the purple Inkling.

No, the reason he was regretting it was the fact that it felt almost _too_ right. Just how long had he wanted something exactly like this? To sit in between them, listen to them bicker and exchange some idle chatter while they mused over what to eat? This was exactly what he always wanted, and yet he still felt completely disconnected from them somehow. 'Probably because they're in an actual relationship, and you're just intruding on their date' his brain helpfully supplied, to which Skull quickly tried to distract himself by burying his nose in the menu.

"Sooooo~ Skully, do you know what you wanna eat yet?"

Aloha's voice snapped him out of his mindless staring and he looked up, blinking at him. Right, menu, food. He should order something. Glancing over it for just a moment, he soon looked up again. "I'll probably order the VH3, 62 and the 89 twice with a helping of whipped cream on the side." 

As soon as he stopped speaking, he realized that he may have said too much, as he quickly felt three pairs of eyes on him before Army cross referenced what he just said with the menu. "That's....all desserts. Are you sure?" 

Right. Those three didn't know about his sweet tooth. Hesitating for a moment, he closed the menu before giving a nod and putting it down. "Yeah, I'm sure."

After their orders were taken and their waiter took off, Skull settled down again, readying himself to listen to the other three bicker. If he could just sit here and listen to them all evening, he'd be more than happy. Mask and Aloha seemed to get right back into it, Aloha defending his choice of drink while Mask playfully teased him about it and mentioned that ordering something else for once wouldn't kill him. 

Skull was so engrossed in following their argument that he didn't even realize that he himself was being watched, and only when he noticed Army shifting next to him did he finally turn his attention from the other two to the drill sergeant. It seemed that Army hadn't anticipated it, almost flinching when the attention was suddenly turned on him. There was a beat before he finally seemed to catch himself. 

"...Don't mind them. They always do this. I suppose its a bit too noisy for your liking, isn't it?" The words were barely above a murmur as to not catch the attention of the two squids that were still bickering. Skull gave a small shrug in response, fingers busying themselves with the edges of the tablecloth as he suddenly found himself unsure how to respond. "....It's...fine. I prefer it over silence." 

"Oh...so you do." Army sounded contemplative as he produced a small notepad from one of the many pockets of his parka, scribbling something down that was more likely than not related to what Skull had just told him. Such a curious habit...its something Skull had picked up about the orange inkling right away, he seemed to take notes on anything and everything, be it strategies, his surroundings, people, anything that might potentially come in handy, he recorded. It was a habit that was as strange to Skull as it was intriguing, and while he wasn't usually one to read much, he certainly wouldn't mind giving some of those manuals the other always went on about a once over.

"-ull? Skull?" Ah- he had spaced out again. Blinking, he focused back on the other, only to realize that not only had their drinks arrived, but his daydreaming must have caught the attention of the other two as well. Shaking his head slightly, he grabbed his glass, becoming all too aware of the three pairs of eyes that suddenly seemed to focus on his bandanna. Unfortunately for them, Skull had thought ahead and ordered an extra straw, simply taking a few sips before putting away the glass, trying not to chuckle at the obvious disappointment that swept over the other three, his face really was that much of a mystery huh?

It wasn't long after that their food arrived, Skull taking note of the way the other three eyed him curiously, no doubt they were questioning his life choices. Well, they could do that all they wanted, it certainly wouldn't change anything. Picking up one of the spoons, he once again became aware of three pairs of eyes that focused on him while trying to seem not focused on him at all. Gods this was amusing, he could certainly see himself going out to eat more often if it always were like this. With his smirk hidden by his bandanna, he shifted and prepared his breathing and-

Just a moment later, all he could hear was the clattering of chopsticks as he laid down his spoon, licking his lips and looking up to see three shocked faces staring back at him. Blinking, he decided to act innocent, tilting his head slightly as he grabbed his drink to take another sip. "What? Is something wrong?"

He could see them struggling to try and speak, and frankly, it was the most amusing thing yet. Aloha kept opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water, Army seemed to have broken completely, and with Mask's headgear shifted to the side, the other's stunned expression was priceless- not to mention quite adorable to boot. He idly moved to shift the empty ice cream cup away before tugging the next one closer to him with a smirk that reached his eyes. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it y'all, last chapter. For as much as I enjoyed writing this, I'm more than glad its finally over and out there.

Skull had to admit, things worked out much more smoothly than he ever anticipated. He had assumed that these three would hate him right off the bat, especially after that first meeting they had, it wasn't like he really showed his best side there. And yet, they ended up clicking so well, it was almost uncanny. However, for as much as they practiced together, and as many times Aloha invited him along for dinner, Skull still felt disconnected. There would be moments where he wanted nothing more than to slip his hand into one of the others, just holding it as they wandered the square. Hell, he found himself jealous of Mask on more than one occasion as he watched Aloha and Army snuggle up to him to watch him play on his phone while they took breaks. 

And yet, he found himself too nervous to admit. What if they didn't actually like him? What if they thought it would make things too complicated? Maybe they'd think he's weird- well, weirder than he already was. Maybe they'd decide that being on a team with him would be *too* weird and decide to dissolve the S4? Frankly, even if they weren't interested in having him, he'd be more than content being friends with them, they were great company, and it had certainly been a while since he laughed as much as he had ever since he started spending time with them.

All those worries kept buzzing around his head, often distracting him and leading to the sniper getting lost. He couldn't count the times he had found himself on top of some strange building because he couldn't stop thinking about how cute Mask looked when he rambled about a new game he was interested in. He really fell hard, didn't he?

"You know, you should just go ahead and admit already. This is getting ridiculous." Skull couldn't help but whine when Vintage tossed a pillow at him after speaking up, although the sniper made no attempt to move or retaliate. "You know I can't. They'll think I'm weird."

"Skull. I swear to god. They're *literally* taking you along on their dates. What else do you need, a written invitation?" The two toned Inkling let out an annoyed huff as he glared at the other before turning his attention back to the phone in his hand. 

"Like you need one from your team mate?" Vintage froze, eyes narrowing as he snapped his head up to look at the other. "What is *that* supposed to mean?"

"Vintage, I'm an airhead, not an idiot." Skull earned himself a raised eyebrow from the other, causing him to huff. "...also Omega filled me in on a few details." 

"I fucking knew it- OMEGA!" Skull found himself too caught up in bursting out in laughter to stop Vintage from dashing out the door, no doubt to hunt down his right hand to chew her out for sharing that information. At least it managed to take his mind off of his troubles. 

\-----

"Hey Skull? Why don't you come join us at Mask's apartment tonight, we wanna discuss some stuff." Skull blinked at the pink inkling in front of him. He'd been invited along for dinner plenty of times, he even accompanied these three to Wahoo World on one weekend, but to get invited to one of their apartments? That was a first. 

"Yes, it's rather...important, so it would be great if you could join us." His eyes flicked over to Army who had stepped up next to Aloha. Okay, something seemed off about this, if it were just for a strategy meeting, they'd just agree to meet in a cafe somewhere, not one of their apartments. Skull couldn't quite wrap his head around what was happening, but before he could even begin to try, Mask gave him a small nudge.

"I'll seeeeeend you the address, uuuuuuse the map feature this time so you dooooon't get lost." Right, he still remembered last time they were set to meet up and he ended up on one of those weird boats run by that wooden bear. That had been a fine mess. Giving Mask a small nod, he was still perplexed by this whole situation, but decided not to question it. Any time he could spend with these three outside of turf was good in his book.

Watching the other three take off, he still found himself as lost as before, stashing away his E-Liter before deciding to put it out of his mind, there's no use worrying over it, was there?

Well, except, he couldn't. Up until the moment Mask texted him his address and told him to make his way there, Skull was buzzing with uncertainty. Why were they calling him there? Did he mess something up? Were they going to tell him that he sucked as a team leader and that they would replace him? Maybe they were finally going to tell him that Aloha inviting him along all those times was just them trying to be friendly, and they really didn't want him to tag along anymore. Frankly, he'd understand that last one, constantly having a fourth wheel must be annoying.

Those thoughts kept buzzing around his mind, only occasionally interrupted by the quiet prompt to turn left here, to turn into this street there as he followed the instructions of the map on his phone. Soon enough he found himself standing in front of a huge apartment building, squinting as he read over the names listed by the doorbell. Once he spotted Mask's, he rang it, feeling a pit forming in his stomach as he waited for an answer. Soon enough, the door unlocked, and Skull made his way up, opting to take the stairs to try and give himself some time to settle down.

While he was making his way up, he couldn't help but wonder what Mask's apartment would look like. Mask himself was peculiar Inkling, Skull could only imagine shelves filled with models of sub weapons, perhaps even another one dedicated to games and merch of the many franchises he always went on about. Skull wasn't really a fan of much, but he did love listening to the masked Inkling ramble about the things he was passionate about, his eyes always took up a certain shine when he did, it was adorable.

Before long, he found himself heading up a flight of stairs and seeing Aloha's head poke out of one of the doors up above, missing his trademark visor and giving him a beaming grin. "Took ya long enough you slowpoke, c'mon! We're all waiting for you!" Skull found his heart flutter for just a moment before giving a nod and quickly heading up the last flight of stairs before following the other into the apartment, closing the door behind him before toeing off his shoes. 

"I'm surprised you managed to get here without getting lost for once." Aloha teased him with a chuckle, which Skull only answered with a soft huff. "I don't get lost *all* the time..." 

"Well, yeah, but it's often enough to where Army has to plan for you coming in for a match too late because you're at the wrong tower again." the pink inkling hummed before motioning Skull to follow. Now that he settled down slightly, he took the other's appearance in a little more. Not only was his visor missing, but it looked like he had traded in his trademark shirt for one of Mask's, which, considering their difference in height, hung way past his hips, the sleeves covering his hands as he gestured. 

Turning a corner and heading into the living room didn't help Skull either, as his attention was quickly drawn to the other two squids in the room. Army was curled up in a comfy looking recliner, looking a lot less formal than usual. His beret was missing, the facepaint wiped from his cheeks, not to mention he was no longer wearing a tie and the shirt he was wearing was a lot more wrinkled than it would have usually been. It was almost uncanny to see him like this, considering Skull had only ever seen the other how he presented himself to the public.

Once his attention shifted to Mask who was sprawled out on the couch and messing with his phone, he noticed that the other didn't really bother to change much. Still sporting the same long sleeved shirt as always, he had traded in his gasmask for a more comfortable dustblocker that left a lot more of his face visible. Skull had seen the other's face before of course, but still, seeing him in such a casual setting was still strange. 

He stood in the door a little awkwardly, shifting as Aloha pushed past him before joining Mask on the couch, snuggling up against him with a happy purr before motioning Skull to sit down as well. The sniper hesitated before finally moving to settle down on the opposite end of the couch, eyes shifting between the other three. After a few minutes passed he finally brought himself to speak up. "So...why did you ask me to come here...?"

There was a moment of silence before Aloha finally shifted away from Mask, sitting up before giving a small shrug. "I didn't see why we wouldn't." Another beat, and Aloha let out a soft sigh. "Skully, let me be honest. We've known each other for about a year at this point. And...y'know..." 

"What Aloha is trying to say is that you've become such an integral part of our lives that we'd like to ask you an important question." Army perked up, shifting to uncurl himself where he sat. Skull tilted his head slightly, a thought buzzing in the back of his mind, but he refused to believe that that might actually be what was happening. There was no way-

Mask let out an annoyed huff before finally putting his phone aside. "Caaaaaan you two stop beating around the fucking buuuuush? Skull, youuuuu've been pretty much in this relationshiiiip for the last few months aaaaaanyway. We're aaaaaasking if you want to make it official." 

No way. No way! That wasn't happening, he was probably dreaming. Was he dreaming? Did he fall asleep on the train again? Oh god he was going to be late for a match-

Pinching himself, Skull found himself internally panicking when he didn't wake up, eyes shifting between the three Inklings looking at him expectantly, waiting for an answer. 

It was an easy answer, wasn't it? Of course, of course he wanted to, this was what he had wanted ever since he first spotted Aloha and Mask eating at the cafe together. To get to know them, to work with them, and now, to love them. But the words died in his throat, his tongue felt like lead, and the world seemed to spin. Before he knew it, he shifted into his squid form with an undignified sound, hiding the bright glow covering his face with his tentacles where his bandanna couldn't. 

The other three were left looking at each other in confusion, unsure what to say until Aloha finally shifted a little bit closer to the squid trying to compose itself. "Skully...? Hey- it's fine if you don't want to, we just thought-" 

"N-No. I-" Skull finally shifted his tentacles down, his voice incredibly soft, still too embarrassed to compose himself properly. "I want this. I want to be with you. I'm just a little overwhelmed...I think..." 

There was another beat before a squeal echoed through the apartment before Aloha suddenly scooped the purple squid up into his arms, giving him an eager nuzzle and giggling all the while. "I'm so happy!! Skully you're so adorable I love it!" Eventually, Army got up out of the recliner, gently taking Skull from Aloha's arms and sitting on the couch with the sniper in his lap, still too overwhelmed to change out of his squidform. "Aloha, while I'm just as happy as you are, Skull already said he was a little overwhelmed, you shouldn't make it worse." 

"Right...sorry. I was just really glad because we've been talking about this for so long and everything worked out so well." The pink inkling mumbled, letting out a squeak a moment later as Mask shifted to pull him against his chest to help him settle down some. "That's greeaaaat, but Skull stiiiiill needs space." 

Army gave a small nod, looking down at the squid in his lap who finally seemed to be settling down. Eventually, Skull shifted, moving to crawl out of the other's hold before shifting back into his Inkling form, sitting in between the other three, although his face was still tinted a nice purple. "Sorry about that..."

"Nooooothing to apologize for. I get being nervous with theeeeese two around." Mask let out a soft chuckle before wheezing quietly when Aloha elbowed him in the side gently. Army huffed at him before turning his attention back to Skull who still seemed to be processing all of this. Hesitating for a moment, the orange inkling soon reached out, gently moving to slip one of his hands into Skull's, almost pulling back when he felt the other twitch before Skull turned to look at him and then down at the hands before closing his around the other's.

On the other side, Aloha decided to do the same, slipping his hand into Skull's before moving to reach his other out to Mask, giving both of them a beaming smile. "Guess that means we're all stuck together now, huh?"

Skull blinked, looking between the three before he found a smile reaching all the way to his eyes. "Yeah, guess we are."

\-----

"Skull- Skull just a moment please, we have a few questions." Skull couldn't help but roll his eyes slightly but soon turned around to face the crowd of reporters that had once again gathered outside the tower. Did this have to happen every time he went for a few practice matches nowadays? "Yeah?"

The reporter seemed almost stumped that it actually worked before clearing their throat, holding a mic up to Skull. "It's been widely known that the Team Leaders of the S4 have been working together as a Team more and more often recently, but with the rise of the new X Rank Team, rumors have been going around that you may consider leaving the S4 and joining the new stars of the Square, is this true?"

Skull felt his face shift into a glare, the reporter clearly nervous as they shifted and even took a step back as Skull squared his shoulders slightly before speaking up. "No. Whoever is spreading those rumors clearly doesn't know what they're talking about. I'm perfectly content with both Purple Team and the S4 as it is. I have no desire to join another team right now, much less leave one of the ones I currently lead. Now, if you excuse me-"

"Skuuuuull~" Skull turned, seeing Aloha waving him over from across the square before gently getting nudged by Army who was probably pointing out that he was currently talking to the press, Mask simply rolling his eyes behind the two of them before focusing back on his phone. Skull couldn't help the smile that spread on his face behind his bandanna. "I have other things to attend to."

With that, he left the reporter, walking over to the other three and slipping one of his hands into Aloha's and the other into Army's while Aloha made sure to grab Mask's hand as they walked off, quietly chatting between themselves where they should go to eat tonight.


End file.
